Sophistique Noir's Monthly theme: Black and White

We wear a lot of black. We've been wearing black since the eighties. Hence, in the same way that friends and family are surprised and compliment me when I wear anything that doesn't make me look like I jumped in a coal bunker, the alternative fashion community is increasingly stirring to the sound of what could arguably considered our antithesis: white.

Lady Amaranth, photographed by Kestrel Photography.

The Mutant Stomp Friends correctly marked white as the colour of the year back in January, but it's been invading dark fashion as well; I first noticed this on instagram, with the stunning Torture Gardens' penchant for ghostly victorian frocks, but it's showing elsewhere; on the other end of the scale, pastel goth has been rocking this since its inception. I'm hesitant to call this a trend, as we've been playing with the concept through 'Ice Goth' for years - hell, Ra was rocking it back in 2012. Perhaps I'm just waking up to how common it really is?

Patience Kingsley of @Torturegardens.

We dark fashion fans like white for the same reasons we like black; whilst black has obvious funereal and occult connotations (as well as being the colour of fashion designers), white is associated with purity and the ethereal side of death. Its religious use at communion and weddings lends it an unearthly quality, which works well in horror.

Image from tumblr: source unknown. Harness by Creepyyeha. 

 In some ways, white is almost more indulgent than wearing all black; it takes balls to wear an ivory dress for an entire day. It also makes you stand out more - lots of people can wear all black, but white really turns heads. White can alternately lend a crispness or softness, but it's when it's paired in harmony with black that, for dark fashion, it really comes into its own; a leather harness, dark lipstick or other signifiers of your normal style can really make an otherwise bleached outfit. I anticipate most outfit posts on this month's black and white theme will be predominantly black with white touches, so I figure this is a nice alternative suggestion.

Ghost Bones by anhonestdrug featuring white hair clips

Me? I think white is lovely, and there's a wonderful clean optimism about it... but then my gaze drifts back to my wardrobe, and I just want to take out my velvets and my silks and my leather, rub my face into their fabric and drown in a Fitzgerald-esque pile of luxurious decadence. I am haunted by black. 

Plus, it hides stains far better. 

Fiona C.

The Curious Professor's Homework Assignment: Inspiring Songs

First off, apologies for not having this up on time. I could talk about how I was seeing Fringe shows at the weekend, packing for university and working during for the week, but excuses aren't usually of interest to the reader and the reality is that the events of Ferguson really did a number on me. Anyway. Onto business.

Surprisingly, this was a really hard challenge for me. Despite being a great music enthusiast, I must admit something I'm very embarrassed about; I haven't listened to any new music in a long time. And I do mean a very long time.

New music is a very difficult thing for me; I take a long time to warm up to anything I haven't heard before, even if I eventually grow to love it. Added to that the overwhelming labyrinthian network of bands that's out there (which I'm apparently expected to know?), and it's just too much to do.

I find the term 'inspiring' very non-specific; inspiring for what? Swing dance? Swooping about in black lace? Joining an anarchist collective and shouting about the inequality in society? Different music affects so many different facets of my life, in many different ways. However, there are certain songs which affect me in ways others can't, and make me feel like something more, an escape from reality; this was one of the things that so enamoured me about post punk when I first began listening to it. Some of these are very typical hits, but hits are hits for a reason.

Track List
Bauhaus - She's in Parties
Kuuntele Ääniä - Kuudes TuntiJoy Division - 24 Hours
Sisters of mercy - Poison Door
Sex Beat - Sex Beat
Siouxsie and the Banshees - Into the Light
Joy Division - Disorder
The Damned - Smash it up


In reality, I could write an essay on each of these selections (maybe I will sometime?), and why they are so significant, but I'll let the songs speak for themselves. The chemistry of these songs really do inspire my appearance, mindset and mood. Within them, I can find a certain synergy within myself that I can't find solely through other means. My aspiration for next year is to have added more music to this list.

I hope that this selection awakens the same feelings in you - maybe not, because of the individuality of music, but these songs represent a large part of my psyche (sorry if that sounds pretentious). I may check the order later, but I'm tired currently and may have to wait until the morning. Good night, all!

What do you find makes a song personally affect you? Any song suggestions for a musical stagnate? Please do let me know!




Fee

Outfit: The Dog Days of Summer

I finally made an adult decision.

I admitted that wearing all black in the middle of summer is excessive. 

It's been the hottest summer we've had in Scotland for a fair few years; after mostly cool, rainy summers, I'm delighted, but not really designed to cope with this heat. Those closer to the equator will probably laugh at how poorly I cope with the rather meagre increase in Fahrenheit, but in a cloudy country which receives 4577mm of rain per year, this is sunbathing weather for most people - and exhaustive for me. The quality of light in summer is incredible - not to mention the length of it, which lends itself perfectly to sitting outside till late - but considering I nearly suffered from heat stroke when I visited St. Andrews several weeks back, I am forced to agree that to properly enjoy it one really shouldn't wear leather boots and black velvet.

Dressing for the heat is a delicate balance of colour, skin exposure and fabric type. Drinking lots of fluids is also important, and something I'm terrible at remembering even at the best of times. Though black can be okay to wear if you pick something breathable, I like how much cooler white makes me feel, and this dress is great for when I feel like wearing something more vintage inspired - in this case twenties. I love how popular sandals have been recently, and picked myself up a pair of elastic ones from M&S. Why don't more sandals use elastic? It's so much more comfortable than straps and doesn't rub.

Add a cardigan to stop my shoulders from getting any more burnt than they are (stay in the shade and wear sun cream regardless of what the sky looks like, kids) and a parasol (which you can see here), and I'm set for the last throes of sunshine. For the real dogs out there, I recommend a good hair cut and a cool bowl of water.

This post was part of The Curious Professor Z's Monthly Homework Assignment; photos by Ben, who I think really outdid himself on these ones (one day I'll become a model worthy of him). I may not have a wardrobe feature on the 1st, but I'm pleased at managing to take part in this challenge. Any other suggestions for summer?





Fee

Red and Black Week, Day 6: Red and Black Gradient Make Up Tutorial

I can't decide whether I should be appalled with myself or not; a whole year since I last did my two tone red and black make up for last year's R&B Week, and I still haven't purchased red eyeshadow. I'm not sure if it counts as lazy or thrifty, but it's probably the former. So before we start, I would like to clarify that there is probably a reason that they don't market lipsticks for use as eyeshadow, and I wouldn't recommend it for use on a regular basis for health and safety reasons.



As mentioned above, my most successful post of last year was my two-tone make up look on the final day (see here), and I wanted to do another make up look for this year; red lipstick is a classic, but red eye shadow is more difficult to pull off. I don't tend to incorporate red into my club and night time looks, so this was a challenge on that level too, which I relished.

Excuse the frizzy hair. 

I'm overly pleased with this look! To contrast last year's effort, I focused more on gradients as opposed to colour blocking, and in honour of our wonderful host Ms. Kitty I included her signature black-lined red lips. This look can be split up into its components and each part worn on its own, but I've done a brief tutorial for you guys on how to do it for yourself.

Red and Black Week 2014, Day 5: Creature of the Night

Day five - we're on the home stretch, readers!  For the fifth post, I want to celebrate something more personal - a phenomenon dear to me and probably many others out there on the fringes of mainstream taste and culture. Warning for those easily offended: this post contains tackiness, scantily clad men in drag and campy fun. I have no idea why you'd be on my blog if you didn't like those things, but just in case.

Red and Black Week, day 4: Cookie Monster

Hello all - I've just moved out of my flat and back home from the summer, so I'm absolutely knackered. Apologies for not keeping up with commenting on everyone's posts; packing/unpacking is keeping me busy. Although I had a plan in place in advance, I didn't have the same forethought to carry it out, so this will be a slightly shorter post than normal!

I decided to use up some of my baking supplies before moving out to make raspberry and dark chocolate cookies (and yet ended up having to buy most of the ingredients, so that didn't work out well), which fits in with the red and black theme. Credit where credit's due, I used this recipe to make them, substituting baking powder and plain flour for self raising and removed the cocoa powder.

Gross, but so delicious.

Considering there was twice as many cookies as there are in the first photo, I'd say that they were a success! Magically, the chocolate managed to stay gooey even after cooling down, and the raspberries I used were surprisingly flavoursome. I would consider substituting them for cranberries if I wanted to change it up a little.

These are the eyebags you get after spending three days packing up enough possessions to fill an entire house.

Though this is my first post on the topic of food, I'm not sure if I'd want to do food blogging or not; I have a basic understanding of how ingredients work and how to change recipes, but I'd consider myself more of a hobbyist baker (my talents certainly don't extend to other forms of cooking, as an unfortunately large number of people can attest to) and don't think I'd do well making my own recipes. Plus, the washing up? God no.

Is anyone else a baker? Can you suggest any other red and black foods? Let me know below!




Fee

Red and Black Week 2014, Day 3: Secretariat

Day three of Red and Black Week, and I have my first outfit post - perhaps surprising for someone who blogs frequently on personal fashion. As previously mentioned I don't have an awful lot of red in my wardrobe, which I'm considering changing for next year, but I have made one purchase since I last participated.

Foolishly, I got this skirt in preparation for university in the summer last year; it's far too tight to run for the bus in, and probably a little too femme fatale for patients. I wore it on the day these photographs were taken to a vintage fair with some members of the swing society, and ended up trying to dance rock and roll in it - trying being the operative word. I love it nonetheless, and really want more pencil skirts.

The concept of the femme fatale is an interesting one to me, partially because I've been studying Blade Runner; is her dangerous sexuality empowering or misogynistic? Blade Runner exposes the fallacy of the femme fatale in the character Rachael, and her vulnerability in the neo-noir dystopia makes her one of my favourite characters. For some reason the pairing of this skirt and blouse (very appropriate for the red, white and black theme today) also reminds me of Mia Wallace from Pulp Fiction, who is another supposed femme fatale who diverges from the archetype.

Who else is taking part in Red and Black Week? What's your feelings regarding femme fatales, or indeed pencil skirts? Let me know in the comments!

Fee

Red and Black Week 2014, Day 2: Male Fashion - Formal and Casual

As you all well know, I run a dark fashion blog. I've also expanded to write on culture, art, lifestyle, crafts and god knows what else. It's a veritable smorgasbord of aesthetics and thoughts. One thing I've barely covered however - even in passing - is men's fashion. Though it's sad how little room there is for experimentation and variety, I do like the structure and attention to detail - something, with the freedom of print and colour and style, women's fashion often forgets.

I've mentioned Ben of The Pop Culture Cynic not a few times on here, but very rarely that he is often better dressed than me. Though his casual outfits tend to revolve around t shirts (admittedly often homemade) and jeans, his formal ones always make glorious use of colour. Naturally, this includes red and black.

Even his glasses are appropriate.

I love the 'long hair, don't care' attitude he has in wearing head-to-toe red. When prompted, he finally admitted that he enjoyed art deco and twenties men's fashion, which you don't see a lot of in goth style (something which surprises me, as I love it). Most current men's formal wear tends to take it's shape from this period, though I've yet to see a zoot suit worn outside of Halloween.

Men's fashion blogging is a steadily expanding niche, but nonetheless outside of The Sinister Sartorialist I can't think of any male dark fashion bloggers (though I hope Ben isn't a lost cause!). Any suggestions? I would be interested in featuring a greater variety of bloggers on An Honest Drug.

Casual style, also appropriate.

Come back for another Red and Black Week post tomorrow!





Fee

Red and Black Week 2014, Day 1: How to mix different colour shades in one outfit

I can't believe that it's been a whole year since I last took part in Sophistique Noir's Red and Black Week; it's an honour to take part again. Red and black is the most classic of bold gothic colour themes, possibly because of the associations with blood and vampires, but not one I indulge in a lot nowadays; I accessorise with red a lot in the winter with hats and scarves, but over the past year I've been paring colour back to bare black, particularly with summer coming (what an oxymoron). 

One of the reasons I and many other people struggle with red (including, from memory, the host of our event, Ms. Kitty) is how difficult it is to mix different shades of it. Unlike other colours, such as green or purple, red has the peculiar ability to make one look like a Frankenstein's monster when not matched properly. Even more famously, the eternal goth problem of mismatching blacks is an all too common issue. If you have a small wardrobe or are lazy like me, you can't be bothered meticulously matching shades everyday. But I've compiled a list of tips for getting around this -

Take care of your clothes

One of the main reasons mismatching blacks become a problem is fading; this can change the midnight black of your once favourite item to a dusty charcoal. The main culprits is washing, which removes some colour each time, as well as drying. Red doesn't fade quite so badly, but does notoriously run in the wash! The Everyday Goth has post on keeping blacks black, which can be easily applied to other colours.

Red and Black Mash-Up by anhonestdrug

Mix textures, fabrics and prints

One of the suggestions often given to make all black outfits visually interesting is to include multiple fabric types and textures; this can also be used to make different shades of the same colour work, as it separates them from one another. Above, I mixed patent oxblood leather creepers with a natural finish red leather jacket, and a velvet skirt with a cotton crop top - the difference in shades between them isn't as noticeable.

Oxblood and Fire Engine by anhonestdrug featuring buckle boots

Keep different shades far away from one another

This may not always be practical, but physically distancing items from one another makes it less obvious when colours don't match. I tend to use this in make up a lot; the red of my lipstick often doesn't match other reds in my outfit, but because they're separate it's not noticeable. The same principle goes for this gorgeous skull bag.

Sourced from pinterest. 

Dye it!

If all else fails, re-dyeing your clothes may solve the problem, either to correct fading or change the shade. Be careful to match the dye to your fabric type and check trimmings and stitching beforehand.  For small patches of fading on black clothes (particularly around seams) I typically use a sharpie to fill it in.


Have you got any tips for mixing different shades in the one outfit? What do you think of my first polyvore sets? Let me know in the comments! You can find my previous Red and Black Week posts under the theme posts tag.




Fee

Sophistique Noir's Monthly Theme: Outerwear

Since I first listened to Bauhaus and considered wearing all black, I've been drawn to the style of the eighties goth. Even before that (since I was thirteen, perhaps), I've loved the confrontational and angry punk spirit, and though I do indulge in the occasional ruffle or mutton blouse (as you can see in some of my outfit photos, such as this), my heart has always belonged to the DIY, rough and ready roots of goth.

Considering for the past few sophistique noir monthly themes I've focused on the vintage half of my wardrobe (which I tend to wear to swing events and when dressing smart is required), I wanted to look at my everyday/going out goth wear which hasn't featured nearly as much on this blog, and so for this month's theme of outerwear I decided to feature my long term project - my post punk jacket. 

It's still a work in progress - I've only got three patches on it thus far, all hand painted (the most recent being my Siouxsie eyes, seen below), but I don't want to put too many more on as I value simplicity. Maybe a March Violets patch?

The joy division patch is affectionately called my 'volume control' by a friend.



Ben was my photographer for the day, and the poor thing struggled to get the hang of using my camera, resulting in many blurry photos. He eventually got used to it, though. Photos were taken behind the Dundee Record Shop Groucho's, where it's a veritable post-apocalyptic wasteland.



Hello - yes, I would like my punk card punched, please. 

It's nice finally getting to post more recent outfit photos; despite this being a fashion blog it doesn't really feature my current personal style that much, which just feels inaccurate. I also like getting an opportunity to take photos in different locations - this was going to be done underneath the Tay Road Bridge, but construction at the waterfront hindered that plan. Exploring will have to be done.



Stay safe. :)

Fee

The Professor's Monthly Homework Assignment: Let's Polka!

 Woop! Professor Z's homework assignment is due in, and it's time to POLKA!

Sadly, not that type of polka. Though it is a fun dance.

The theme this month is Polka Dots - I actually adore polka dots, and think that they can work really well. Coming into popularity in the UK in the 1800s, they perhaps surprisingly don't share any connection with the eponymous Central European dance (though it's likely that the name was taken from it), and are typically worn in Spanish flamenco.
 

I often wear this at the hospital when we're required to dress smartly - vintage inspired outfits serve to bring a bit of my own taste into work place dress codes without getting reprimanded by the medical school. Normally I would pair this skirt with a plain black top, but surprisingly this actually went not too badly? I'd be interested to hear people's opinions on it.

I could also have used the shoes seen in this post for a more summery look, but them having recently given me blisters the idea was not appealing. Shoes are something I have hell with; with feet that are a very narrow 4.5, most shops don't cater to my size, and I'm limited to Office, M&S and Clarks. It's a good excuse for buying shoes when I find them, though.

My make up was actually more inspired by the sixties than the rest of the outfit - looking at the photo now, I realize that I probably could have used a pinker gloss, a wee bit of eyeliner below my eyes and more highlighting on my cheek bones, but it was a fun experiment.

Look who came to see me while I was taking photos!
He's recently had a hair cut and is fluffy once more.

I'm not actually sure on what my blogging plans are for the next few weeks - I'm planning some more goth oriented stuff as I've been feeling like my darker aesthetic side has been neglected recently, but other than a few unfinished posts I don't have anything specific in mind. I'm also going to try and write up more posts in advance as I'm hoping to get a second job, and uni will leave me with less time on my hands when it starts back.

 

I won't be blogging for the next few days as I have the gamer coming over to stay, but I can promise more posts will be coming soon (possibly something on steampunk!). Until then!






Fee

Red and Black Week, day 6: Contrast Make Up

 

I finally made it to the last day of Red and Black week! Had I been prepared and thought posts out in advance of the week, I might have found it easier, but nonetheless it was a fun week.



You can tell that my foundation is a little too dark here, but I'm in the process of saving for a new one.

While my entry to R&B week was probably my most successful post (and, had I planned the week out better, should have been my finale), I actually really enjoyed doing this make up. Other than on my lips red isn't a colour I really use in make up, so this was a new one for me - and I loved it!
 



I love this shot!

Although high impact, it's almost laughably simple. It was somewhat inspired by Cruella Deville, hilariously enough (101 Dalmatians was my favourite book as a child), as well as comic books (where the top lip is often coloured in black for shading - I also think in some adaptions Harley Quinn from Batman has the same thing). Lacking red eyeshadow lip crayon was used - which worked actually very well - and a thin line of eye liner stopped me looking like I'd just tried to rub soap into my eyes.

Had I been intelligent I'd have done something with my hair to match it, but ah well. I'll maybe play around with that another day. If you plan on wearing lipstick like this out, I would recommend using some lip sealant so you don't get transfer between the black and the red. I'd probably pair the look with Katelynn's nails from Life of A Baby Bat from day two of the week here.

I've really enjoyed taking part in Red and Black Week this year - I've got to meet so many amazing bloggers and take part in a general outpouring of creativity, and I've loved it. I'd like to thank Ms. Kitty for hosting the event, and all you lovely people who have commented and joined in. It's been great, and hopefully I'll see you all next year!

Fee

Red and Black Week 2013, day 5: Walk Into The Sun

Amazingly, I've reached day five of Sophistique Noir's Red and Black week, with not a day missed! I thought I would lapse somewhere, and there have been aborted posts that didn't work out, but all in all I have managed to get entries up with some fore-planning involved. Still, there's one day left to go so I probably shouldn't be too hasty in my celebrations.

Miraculously, the weather has cooled down somewhat, but I've been left hypervigilant for the next heatwave (forgetting, of course, that the Scottish summer consists of a week of glorious weather, after which it's hideous until the following year). I'm terrible for remembering to reapply suncream, and dislike covering up because surprisingly I do actually like to feel the sun sometimes (recently, however, it's also been too warm to wear more than the bare minimum of layers).

Parasols have been used in Egypt, Greece, China and in India since the BC years, and make a fantastically effective barrier against the sun. They first came into popular use in Britain and France around the mid 17th century from China, and became particularly popular in the enthusiasm for Japanese culture and art in the 1800s.

They remain popular in various countries and subcultures, notably in Goth and Lolita fashion, but still can be immensely practical. To tie in with R&B week, I've collected my favourite red and black parasols from around the web so you photophobic goths can survive the summer months. For those of you in the southern half of the globe, fear not; many of the parasols included double as umbrellas.


£5.85, here.

This square umbrella is more modern and unusual in it's design, and would be great with a casual short and vest top look, or perhaps an elegant three piece suit.

£23.95, from here.

This Battenburg lace parasol has an unlined portion to show off the pattern of the lace, but still protects you from the sun. I'm considering getting this one!

£11.99, from here.

I've always been fond of this paper design, and I'm swithering over this one myself. Many of these on the web are decorated with cherry blossom or other designs, but this one is plain for your own decoration, if you so choose.

£36.00, from here.

This is one for the gothic lolitas out there! There's a few too many ruffles for me, but there's something charming in it's frivolity. This one also has the advantage of doubling up as an umbrella.

£14.95 from here.

I own the black version of this, and it's an excellent umbrella as well as a parasol; the classic shape works well with victorian outfits as well as providing full coverage from the bright hurty thing. I should say that the Edwardian style umbrellas don't fare in wind as well as their normal counterparts, so beware of what weather you take them out in.



See you for the last post tomorrow!






Fee



Reference - A brief history of parasols & umbrellas (now defunct, but I'll find another source).

P.S. apologies for the cheesy title. I just couldn't let pass the opportunity to reference a song from one of my favourite bands.